While walking or hiking in the woods, in a park, along a beach or along the side of a road, it is not uncommon to see an individual using a walking stick for stability and security. Such walking sticks are purchased or are obtained while walking by picking up a long stick or piece of wood, if there is one, from the ground. The walking sticks generally available for purchase include a straight section alone or in combination with a handle section or an ornamental top. The walking stick may also consist of a straight section and a top that functions in part like a seat. Such walking sticks or canes are disclosed in Design U.S. Pat. Nos. 261,199, 297,887, and 299,189.
There are also canes that provide stability to individuals recovering from surgery or illness as well as those who generally require the assistance of a walking stick or cane to walk. Some of these canes are designed for comfort and, in some cases, designed to reduce the impact to the shoulders and wrist of the user. Such canes are typically designed for use primarily on hard surfaces such as concrete walk, flooring and the like. These canes typically are provided with a tip specifically designed for stability such as a wide rubber tip or a structure, attached to the shaft of the cane, that has multiple, spaced legs for contacting the ground.
One walking cane 10, as shown in FIG. 1, is designed for those who have difficulty rising from a seated position. This cane includes two handle portions 12,14, where the lower handle portion 14 lets an individual push against it as they stand from the seated position. This cane 10 includes means 16 for adjusting the height of the shaft 20. The cane 10 includes a wide rubber tip 18 that contacts the hard surface or ground.
It is also common to see a person out walking their dog, such as along the roadside or along the beach, typically while the dog is on a leash or some sort of a tether. When the person wants to stop to rest or talk to another individual, the dog generally becomes restless and starts pulling on the leash, jumps up, and/or winds the leash around individual's legs. Similarly when one is traveling with a dog or other pet, there are typical no provisions in general made at rest stops, rest areas or fast food establishments for leashing or securing animals such as dogs. Thus, the animal's owner either has to hold the leash or has to tie the leash to some fixture such as sign post.
All of the above described walking sticks and canes are not intended to be driven into the ground but rather generally remain above the ground. Also, the design of these walking sticks or canes has been generally found not to be acceptable for use as a stake for securing an animal.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a walking cane that is also useable as a stake for temporarily securing the leash or tether of an animal such as dog.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a walking cane that is generally resistant to the motion of the animal when it is secured to the walking stick.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a walking cane that is easily used to secure an animal in rest areas and the like.
It is yet a another object of the present invention to provide a walking cane that can be easily and securely inserted into the ground.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a walking cane that is light weight yet have sufficient strength and rigidity to withstand the forces imposed when an animal is secured to it and the cane is inserted into the ground.